Wire-fence stretcher



Dec. l18, w23.

W. G. ROBINSON WIRE FENCE STRETGHER Filed Jan. 31. 192s EATZQZ 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 18 H923. 3,477,962

V l w. G. ROBINSON WIRE FENCE STRETCHER Filed Jah. 31. 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Dec. 18, i923.

lis:

WILLIAM G. ROBINSON,` OF BATAVIA, IOWA.

WIRE-FENCE STRETCHER.

Application filed January 31, 1923. Serial No. 616,117.

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that l, TWILLIAIVI G. ROBIN- soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Batavia7 in the county of Jefferson and e State of lowa, have invented certain new and useful improvements in lire-Fence Stretchers, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to wire fence i stretcher-S and has for its main object to provide a strong and powerful device of this kind for use in stretching wire netting used for fences. Another Objectis to provide a stretcher, by means of which an even pull is l exerted on the entire width of the net, and to hold the latter in its stretched condition while it is nailed to a fence post.

Still another object of the invention is to furnish a device of this character that is so easily attached or detached, and which'is accordingly economical and time savino'.

in the accompanying drawings one embodiment of the invention is illustrated, and

igure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a wire fence with the stretcher attached ready for operation;

Figure 2 isa top 'plan view of the stretcher on a larger scale; and

`Figure 3 is a fragmentary elevation of some of the details.

In the drawings reference numeral 10 represents a portion of a wire fence and 11 represents a clamp which grips the fence wire along its entire width, or from top to bottom of the fence. This clamp may be of the general character described and illustraterl in my Patent, No, 1,155,276, or in my pending application, Serial No. 698,296, filed December 21, 1922. No further description of the clamp is therefore needed, but it might, however, be mentioned that the jaws 12 are connected by means of a double hook or connecting member 13 engaging both top and bottom jaws.

The hook 14 of the block and tackle arrangement is attached .to the connecting member 13 and the rope 15 of the -tackle runs around the block pulley 16 in the usual manner. One end of the rope 15 is securely attached, as at 17, on a drum 18 upon which the rope is intended to be coiled up during the operation of the stretcher. The other end of the rope has an eye 19 intended to engage with a hook or nose 2() at one end of Aat the 0 aposite end of the spindle.

the frame 21. This end of the frame is, accordingly, bent as indicated at 9 in Figure 2 to reach partly around the fence post 22 and is provided with a reinforced T-piece 23 reaching up and down along the post 22, in order to steady the frame when engaged with the post.

The other end of the frame 21 is bifurcated, as best seen in Figure 2, that is to say, it has two arms 24 and 25 spaced sufliciently apart to permit the drum 18 to revolve between them. The arms 24 and 25 as well as the main shank 26 of the frame are preferably of T-shaped cross section, and a reinforcing flange 27 is adapted to still further strengthen the construction.

The drum 18 is mounted to freely revolve upon a spindle 28 carried at the free ends of the arms 24 and 25, while bearings 80 and 31 are furnished for this purpose and this spindle has a thin head 32 at one end, and is secured by means of a nut 83 threaded To 'the drum 18 is rigidly attached a spur gear 34, which is preferably made as a separate casting or forging in order to facilitate manufacture, and secured to the drum by means of a plurality of short ngers or studs 35 engaging in corresponding apertures in the spur gear 34 andriveted over on the opposite side thereof, as best seen in Figure 3. The inner side of the spur gear 34 is smooth and forms a guard for the rope while coiling` up on the drum 18, the latter being provided at its opposite end with a wide flange or disk for the same purpose.

Reference numeral 37 represents a. crank shaft revolubly mounten in bearings 38 and 39 provided in the frame '21 and having its axis parallel to the axis of the spindle 28. One end of the crank shaft 3T is formed as a crank handle 40 for turning the shaft 37, and rigidly mounted on this shaft is a small pinion 41 meshing with the spur gear 34, and held in position by a retaining washer 45.

Reference numeral 42 is a dog or pawl loosely mounted on the crank shaft 37 and provided with a toe 43 extending across the spur gear 34.` Ordinarily during operation, the dog 42 is thrown back into the dotted position, as seen in Figure 2, in order not to interfere with the turning of the spur gear, but when the fence wire has been stretched sufiiciently, the dog` 42 is thrown into the full line position seen in this figure, with the toe l2 placed in between two of the gear teeth, in this inanner locking,` the spur gear from turning and holding the rope 15 and the fence Wire stretched Whilethe latter isV being nailed to a fence post.

On the outer side of the arm 25 of the frame is provided an elongated ear 44, through which the rop is made to pass before engaging with the nose 20 of the frame. This'ie this arin 25 during operation.

The device is used in the followingh manner: rllhe l'raine 2l is first held at the proper height troni the ground against a tence post Q2, so that its cui-red end, carrying' the nose 20. reaches partly around to the opposite side of the :ience` post, counted from the position of the i? nce wire. The rope 15 is now attached with its eye i9 over the nose 20, While a portion ot' the rope passes through the ear in the traine. Tlilith the dog l2 thro/Wn haci; into disengaged position, as indicated hy dotted lines in Figure 2, the rope "s pei.n.itted to run oit the drinn 'i8 suiiiciently to attach hook 1.4; oi? the pnlley block to the connectiney nrenihe-r 13, while the clainps 'll are held against the 'fence Wire. ireetly the crank handle i0 is turned the rope l5 will he tensioned and pull on the connecting meinher l5. thereby causing the clamps ll to take a firni hold upon the ience Wire. By continued turning-o1.p the cranl'r handle 40, the pinion lil and the spur gear are new revolved actuating` the drinn 18, so that the rope is coiled up thereon, and by this means stretching the Wire l0. As soon as the latter has been sulliciently stretched. the dogg- 42 is thro-Wn into engagement with the teeth of the spur rea 8d to hold the saine iirinly until the `i'en-ce Wire has been secured by staples against the tence post. After this securing has been mi-inpieted, the dogl 42 is thrown haci; into its dotted position thereby relents ing the spur rear 3112,.permitting' the drum to uncoil the rope l5 to loosen the stretcher which is nou attached to the nentience post and the operation repeated.

for thefpurpose of support- Haring thus described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. il fence wire stretcher comprising a iranie, a drum revoluhiy mounted therein, arope associated with said drurn and adapted to bev attached to the fence Wire, a gear Wheel rigidly lconnected to the drum, a crank shaft mounted in the traine with its aXis parallel to that of the drinn, a pi ion scour d on said cranl: shaft and meshing with said gear Wheel, and a dog freely mounted on said crank shaft and adapted to he thrown in and out for engaging with said. gear wheel. Y

2. A fence Wire stretcher comprising a frame, a drum reoluh-ly mounted therein, a. rope associated with said drinn and adapted to he attached tothe tence wire, a Wheel rigidly connected to the drinn, a crank shaft mounted in the trarne with its anis parallel to that of the drum, a pinion secured on said crank shat't and meshing with said gear Wheel, and a dog freely mounted on said oraal; simi-t and adapted to lhe thrown in and out iior engaging with said gear Wheel, said iframe haring an arcuate arin terminating with a nose adapted to engage the free end ot' said rope, a pulley block being' inserted between said iree end of the rope and the drinn.

3. fence Wire stretcher comprising a iframe, a drurnL rero'luhly niernt therein, 9, iieXih-le tension member associa ed uith said drum and adapted to he attached to the fence Wire, means on said frame Vfor lrevolving said drum, and a locking element lor said means, said iranie having'y an arcuate arin terminating with a nose adapted to engage the lree end of said tension member; said means including` a gear Wheel rigidly connected to the drum, crank sha-ft' mounted in the frame with its axis parallel to the axis off the druin, and a pinion secured on said crank shaft and meshing' with said gear Wheel, said gear Wheel adapted' to engage with said locking element and said locking element heling mounted coaxislly with said pinion.

ln testimony whereof l ailis; niy signature.

WlLL'iAl/l G.' ROBINSON. [n su] 

